Syrian village submerged after quake-damaged dam collapses

Syrians fled their flooded northwestern village when a dam collapsed Thursday, an AFP correspondent reported, in the aftermath of a deadly quake that struck Turkey and Syria this week.

Dozens of families left their homes to seek refuge in nearby towns, as water partially submerged houses and trees in rebel-held Tloul.

Streets, wheat and bean fields were completely flooded in the village near the Turkish border.

فيضان يغمر شوارع بلدة #تلول بسبب ارتفاع منسوب مياه #نهر_العاصي#زلزال_سوريا #زلزال_سوريا_تركيا#زلزال pic.twitter.com/0XAwJ54ihq

— Creative Syrians - المبدعون السوريون (@CrSyrians) February 9, 2023

#عاجل #سوريا #ادلب #زلزال

نزوح أهالي قرية تلول شمال غرب إدلب بسبب تدفق المياه من سد التلول المتصدع بسبب الزلزال. pic.twitter.com/8KfwCUmeCr

— أبو يحيى الشامي (@borwjj) February 9, 2023

"The mud dam collapsed because of the earthquake," said Louan Hamadeh, one of the few villagers who remained despite the flooding.

"Everyone left except a few young men," he said, adding "our situation is dramatic, look at all the water around us".

Monday's 7.8-magnitude tremor killed nearly 20,000 people in Syria and Turkey, official and rescuers said.

At least 16,546 people have died in Turkey and at least 3,317 were killed in Syria.